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Congressman Foster helps launch year two of Brooks STEM Club

By SUBURBAN LIFE MEDIA

Feb. 5, 2014

Caption

U.S. Congressman Bill Foster talks to students at Brooks Middle School Friday in Bolingbrook. In the background is a slide of Foster and President Obama aboard Air Force One.
Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com

Caption

Students at Brooks Middle School listen as U.S. Congressman Bill Foster talks about his career Friday at the school in Bolingbrook.
Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com

BOLINGBROOK – “You can be a big success in life without being a superhero.”

That’s what U.S. Rep. Bill Foster told a group of 100 Brooks Middle School sixth-graders Friday as he helped representatives of the Youth Hope STEM Mentoring Program introduce the Brooks STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Club to the students.

“Your education never stops. You can’t spend enough time getting educated,” the former scientist said, emphasizing the need to include math in their education. “There’s almost no job in the universe that doesn’t touch on math somehow.”

“What you learn in school will help you do amazing things,” added the Rev. A.J. Jones, who heads up the Youth Hope STEM Mentoring Program.

Jones promised the hand-picked sixth-graders that if they decide to become a part of the Brooks STEM Club, they will experience “fun, engaging, inspiring projects to pique your interest.”

Among projects for the club, which is in its second year at Brooks, are building and racing a scaled-down electric car, learning how to solve crime through CSI forensics, and designing and producing a movie and a cartoon. The club as a whole will also focus on computer-based learning projects.

“We hope this club will help you get ready to step into your career,” Jones said.

The club’s first meeting will be Feb. 18.

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